Caster.



No. 871,583. PATENTED NOVI 19, 1907.

G. 0. FULLER.

AP 000000000000000000000000 e.

the diameter of the socket at this onlysufficiently {greater than the diameter GAIUS O. FULLER, OF CLEVELAND, OHIO.

CASTER.

Specification of Letters Patent. Application filed March 28, 1906. Serial No. 808.401.

No; 871,583. Patented Nov. 19, 1907.?

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, GAIUs citizen of to the pintle to permit vertical movement thereof without any material side play.

The caster pintle 8 consists of an body adapted'to be inserted into the chamber formed in the socket below the stop 4 and provided with an enlarged upper end. or head 9, an enlarged lower end 10, and an in termediate portion 11 which is somewhat reduced in section as compared with such ends. The intle is preferably a malleable casting, and is provided at opposite sides thereof, with an arm 12, the lower outerend of which is provided with a rounded or beveled face 13. The lower end of the socket is contracted inwardly at 14 to provide a somewhat reduced bore within which the portion 10 fits and is centered. The inner wall of the socket chamber above such reduced bore t pers toward the latter, providing an inclined face 15 against which the lower ends of the arms 12 will engage to retain the caster pintle in place when the socket is raised to an extent to leave the pintle and roller otherwise unsupported. The beveled surface 15 receives the lower beveled or rounded ends 13 of the arms 12 State of Ohio, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Casters, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact descriptlon, reference being had to the accompanying drawings.

y invention relates to casters, and has for its object the production of a device of this kind which shall be strong, simple and economical of construction, durable in operation, and capable of quick and convement application to and removal from the article With which it is to be used. Generally speaking, the invention may be defined as consisting of the combinations of elements, for the purposes specified, embodied in the claims hereto annexed.

Referring to the drawings, Figure 1 sents a vertical sectional view structed in accordance with my invention, parts thereof being shown in elevation.

ig. 2 represents a side elevation of the socket. Fig. 3 represents a corresponding view of the pintle and caster wheel. Fig. 4 represents a side elevation, showing the manner in which my caster may be applied to a wooden carrier, as a table leg, the socket being indicated in dotted lines, and Fig. 5 represents a top'plan view of the pintle.

Describlng the parts by reference characters, 1 represents a metal leg or carrier to which the caster may be applied, as for instance the leg of an iron bed. l/Vithin the lower end of this leg is fitted the socket 2 of my caster, said socket being provided with a flange 3 for engaging the lower end of the leg. The socket is of metal, preferably malleable iron, and is of the shape shown in Figs. 1 and 2. The end ortions of said socket are of a diameter to fit closely within the surrounding portion of the metal leg 1. Intermediate of the ends thereof, the socket is constricted to rovide a seat portion 3 for the reception 0 a block 4 of hardened steel. This block may be conveniently inserted through a slot 5 in the seat portion, the seat proper 6 being formed in such portion in the operation of casting the socket. Below the seat, the walls of the socket are contracted to form. a guide portion 7 which receives and centers the upper end of the caster pintle 8,, point being repreof a caster conroller within the socket in the manner above mentioned. There is sufficient resiliency in the arms 12, however, to permit the pintle to be withdrawn from the socket without the application of any material force thereto, the inclined surface 15 coacting with the beveled surfaces 13 to cam the arms inwardly and enable the pintle to be so withdrawn.

he upper end of the pintle is provided with a recess 16 for the reception of a ball 17, said ball being retained in place by means of a plurality of inwardly extending lugs 18, which may be cast with the pintle. This ball is of steel and the length of the pintle is sufficient to cause the ball to engage the stop plate 4 when the weight of the bed or other article to which the caster is applied is placed on the roller. In order to retain the socket in place, I may place a sleeve 19 around the metal leg 1 and secure it in position by sledging the ends of the same inwardly, thereby producing the indentations 20, 2]., in the said leg near the top and bottom respectively of the socket, causing the socket to be firmly gripped and retained in place by the le T have indicated in dotted lines in Fig. 2 the manner in which the socket may be slightly changed, by merely. enlarging the oblong and will ordinarily support the pintle and flange thereof, to adapt the caster for application to wooden furniture as, for instance, a table leg.

In Fig. 4, 22 designates the leg of a table or similar article of furniture. To apply the caster thereto, I merely substitute for the flange 3 an enlarged flange 3 such as shown in dotted lines in Fig. 3 and in full lines in Fig. 4:. This flange is provided with holes 23 for the reception of screws 24, by means of which the socket may be firmly secured in lace withinthe table leg. This affords a very simple construction in connection with wooden furniture, dispensing with the sleeve 19 by which the metal leg is crimped inwardly to engage the socket.

As will appear from Figs. 1 and 3, the portion 11 of the pintle, intermediate of the ends thereof, is considerably reduced in sectional area as compared with such end portions, being of considerably less diameter in one plane than the diameter of the ends but being of substantially the same diameter in a plane at right angles to the former plane. This enables the spring arms to be cast with and project from the flattened sides 25 without the necessity of a large socket chamber to accommodate the same. At the same time the depth of the web in the plane of the roller-jaws is sufficient to resist the breaking strain induced by the leverage exerted thereon from the roller pivots.

From the foregoing description, it will be apparent that I have produced a caster which is extremely cheap of construction, as

' nearly all of the parts thereof may be made of malleable castings, and one which possesses the requisite qualities of ease of production, durability and efficiency of operation, and ease of application to and removal from the object to be supported. The inward projection of the socket wall above the block forms a shoulder which receives the thrust exerted on the block by thetop of the caster pintle,-a very cheap but efiective construction.

While I have necessarily described my invention in detail, it will be evident that such details may be modified or varied more or less without avoiding the spirit of my invention, and I do not propose to be limited to such details except as they may be included in the claims annexed or may be rendered necessary by the prior state of the art.

I claim:

1. In a furniture caster, the combination of a socket having va contracted portion intermediate the ends thereof and an enlarged body portion extending beyond said contracted portion and above and below the same, a stop or bearing plate in said contracted portion, and a caster pintle having a rounded end positioned to engage said stop, substantially as specifi ed. 2. In a furniture caster, the combination of a socket having, intermediate the ends thereof, a bearing plate or stop, a caster pintle adapted to engage said bearing plate or stop, and a leg or carrier in which said socket is fitted and engaging the upper and lower portions of said socket on both sides of said plate or stop, substantially as specified.

3. In a furniture caster, the combination of a socket having a seat therein, a stop or bearing plate fitting in said seat, and a pintle engaging said plate or stop, the wall of the socket being slotted for the insertion of said stop or plate into its seat, substantially as specified.

l. In a furniture caster, the combination of a tubular socket, the upper and lower ends of which are of the same diameter and having intermediate said ends a contracted portion, a stop in said contracted portion, a pintle in said socket the upper end of which engages said stop, the bore of the socket being contracted immediately below the stop to cause the wall thereof to engage the upper end of the pintle to center the same, substantially as specified.

5.v A socket for caster pintles comprising a hollow body having a seat therein for a stop, the wall of the socket being slotted for the ifrlisgrtion of said stop, substantially as specihollow body having a contracted portion in- I termediate the ends thereof, said portion having a seat for a stop and being provided with a slot for the insertion of the stop thereinto, substantially as specifi d.

7. A socket for caster pintles comprising a hollow body, the upper and lower end'por tions of which are of a diameter to fit within the support and having, intermediate of the top and bottom, a contracted portion formed with a seat for a stop or bearing plate and provided with a slot for the insertion of said stop or bear'ng plate into such seat, the bore of the socket being contracted for a short distance below the seat and at the lower end thereof to center the pintle therein, substantially as specified.

8. The combination .of a caster having a socket, a metallic leg or support within which said socket is inserted, and a sleeve surrounding said leg or support and serving to clamp said socket within said leg or sup port, substantially as specified.

9. The combination, with a metallic leg or support, of a caster therein, said caster having a socket, and a sleeve surrounding said leg or support and having a portion thereof engaging said leg or support the metal of the sleeve being forced inwardly against the leg or support to cause the latter to clamp said socket, substantially as specified.

10. The combination, with a socket, of a caster pintle therein,

sa1d pintle having a Web and a spring arm oneach side of said web, said web being relatively wide in the direction of the plane of the caster roller and relatively narrow in a plane at right angles thereto, said socket being provided witha surface adapted to engage said spring arms and normally retain the caster therewithin, substantially as specified.

11. A caster pintle having a roller support, the body of said pintle being reduced in a plane at right angles to the direction of the roller support and provided with an arm on each side thereof, said body being relatively wide in a plane parallel to said roller support, substantially as specified.

12. The combination, with a metallic leg or support, of a caster socket therein, and a sleeve surrounding said leg or support and having portions thereof engaging said leg adjacent the upper and lower ends of the socket the portions of the sleeve which engage the leg being forced inwardly thereagainst to cause the adjacent portions of the leg or support to engage and clamp the upper and lower ends of the socket, substantially as specified.

13. The combination, with a metallic leg or support, of a caster therein, said caster having a socket, and a pintle in said socket, said metallic leg or support being forced inwardly adjacent to the upper and lower ends of the socket to engage the socket and retain the same in place.

14. A caster pintle, the upper and. lower portions whereof are substantially circular in cross section, said portions being united by a web which is relatively wide in the direction of the plane of the caster roller and relatively narrow in a plane at right angles thereto, substantially as specified.

In testimony whereof, I hereunto aflix my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

GAIUS C. FULLER.

Witnesses:

M. NOLAN, J. B. HULL. 

